One For All
by CommadoreRobespierre
Summary: The Tardis abruptly whisks the Doctor, Amy and Rory to Australia where something new has arrived in Sherbrooke Forest. Something big and scary, of course - nothing the Doctor can't handle. The local human he meets, on the other hand...


**ONE FOR ALL**

The Tardis hurtled through the fabric of space-time at an impossible speed. Inside yellow lights flashed and klaxons blared as the Doctor frantically flung himself from knob to lever pressing buttons and twisting dials in an apparently random fashion.

"What's going on?" shouted Rory as he stumbled into Amy who in turn fell onto the Doctor, who caught her in a short-lived moment of stability.

"She's taking us somewhere," he yelled in reply, steadying Amy a moment before another collision threw them all off balance. "Good old sexy!"

"Somewhere where?" demanded Amy as she picked herself up off of Rory.

"Oh, it could be anywhere," he answered gleefully. "Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday; the fifth, eighteenth, fifty-sixth century: anywhere in the universe!"

"Well, that narrows it down," muttered Rory. They all grabbed for handholds as more sudden jolts rocked the Tardis.

The fresh crisp scent of the forest filled Lorelei's lungs, energising her as she jogged. Her golden wavy hair tied neatly in a ponytail whipped behind her, her hazel green eyes focused and sparkling with joy. Towering gum trees and vibrant green tree ferns rushed past in a whirl of earthy colour. She smiled at the sights and smells surrounding her. Nothing but the crunch and squelch of her own footsteps and the occasional bird call disturbed the still morning air. Nothing, that is, until a pulsing whooshing sound reached her ears, almost as of a thing in flight, and there, in front of her, something faint began to appear: the apparition of a bright blue phone booth. Lorelei skidded to a halt in bemusement as it solidified and the strange sound ceased. For almost a minute she stood there, gazing in dumbfounded awe at this impossibility. Then, cautiously, she stepped around it, examining every inch and attempting to reconcile the physical reality with her knowledge of physics and coming up short every time. She made a complete circle and inspected the sign on the front door.

Abruptly, the door burst open, knocking Lorelei to the ground. The Doctor stepped blinking into the sunlight and looked down in surprise at the figure sprawled on the ground.

"I, I – I'm sorry," she stammered. "I was just looking, I mean, it appeared out of thin air-"

"Oh!" Amy exclaimed as she emerged from the Tardis. "Have you knocked someone over already?"

"Technically, the Tardis did. I'm helping her up." He offered Lorelei a hand. "Hello, I'm the Doctor."

She allowed him to help her up and dusted off her pants.

"The Doctor? Doctor of what?"

"Of what?" he cocked his head.

"Yes; a Doctor of medicine, of philosophy…"

"You just saw a police box," interrupted Amy, "materialise in the middle of the forest and three people come out-"

"Three people?" Rory stepped out from where he had been partially obscured behind Amy.

"Hi, I'm Rory." Amy gave him a 'you've had your moment, now you'd better let me talk' look before continuing.

"…Three people come out. He's the Doctor of that." Lorelei considered.

"Perhaps I'll just move on to the next question: who are you?"

"I'm Amy, a friend of the Doctor."

"And you're Rory?" Rory smiled sheepishly.

"Yeah. And what's your name?"

"I'm Lorelei."

"Lorelei. That's a lovely name," smiled the Doctor. "You look very confused; we'd better not show you the inside."

"Oh, no, I mean, well, yes," she spluttered. "I was just thinking about whether to ask you one of the hundred other questions." The Doctor laughed understandingly.

"Alright, one more question. Ask away, but my explanation of relative dimension is a bit rusty." Lorelei thought for a moment, glancing at the Tardis and each of them in turn, ending back at the Doctor.

"Why are you wearing a bowtie?" The Doctor straightened it unconsciously.

"Bowties are cool." Amy sniggered and he threw her a mock glare. "But what's that?" He listened intently.

"Doctor, where are we?" asked Rory, looking up at the lofty trees reaching skyward.

"A forest in Eastern Australia. What's that call? I know that call!"

"Australia! When?"

"You mean the Lyre bird?" suggested Lorelei. "It mimics other animals, steals their sound - hence why it's a liar."

"Ah, the Daerthorn. Of course."

"The what?" blurted out Amy, to no avail.

"And it doesn't lie; that's part of it's language," he continued excitedly. "Instead of describing things using words they re-enact the sound in between their own language. I haven't seen them around for years!"

"How many years?" enquired Amy.

"Oh, two hundred or so. It's widely believed that they became extinct after the war, but I had a feeling they might be hiding somewhere." He grinned gleefully at the forest, pausing as another series of calls floated through the air. "And I think I know why the Tardis brought us here."

"You can understand them?" gasped Lorelei. "I think my brain's about to melt…"

"You get used to it," comforted Rory, dryly.

"There's something here," the Doctor mumbled to himself. "And the Daerthorns are worried about it. Something quite recent. Something big and scary."

"Would you care to fill us in, Doctor?" asked Amy sardonically.

"I can do better than that," he announced. "Let's go and find it." He set off down the path, back where Lorelei had come from.

"Does he do this often?" Lorelei enquired.

"You have no idea," replied Rory, giving Amy a knowing sidelong glance.

Lorelei stared at the strange man ambling down the muddy path in front of them as he stopped to listen, head cocked, for a few seconds before plunging right off the track and straight into the forest. They followed compliantly.

"You asked when before," remarked Lorelei to Rory. "When you were, not just where. Are you…time travellers?"

"How's your brain doing?" smiled Amy as she recalled her first encounter with the Tardis. Lorelei's eyes widened even further at the confirmation.

"Do you just travel to places and times having adventures?" Where are you from?" Rory answered her.

"From England originally. Two thousand and ten is when we first started travelling with the Doctor."

"That's last year!" Lorelei gasped. "Well, in my time…how long has it been for you?" They halted suddenly; the Doctor was crouched behind a fallen log at the beginning of a clearing gazing at what appeared to be a large hole in the ground. It was huge, almost like a cave system extending deep underground. There were uneven mounds of earth scattered everywhere, as though something or someone had dug this out as some sort of…

"A nest?" Lorelei breathed. The Doctor turned to face them and looked at her mischievously with glimmering eyes.

"Full marks," he complimented. "Something big has come here, and recently. The Daerthorns are worried about it – quite nasty looking from what I can gather. And, whatever it is, it's here for a reason."

"Um, Doctor." Amy raised her hand to get his attention. "You're not thinking of going in there?"

"Just because it's big and nasty-looking in a dark cave doesn't mean it's bad."

"But it strongly suggests it," interjected Rory, eying the cave uneasily.

"I need to find out exactly what it is and why it's here," stated the Doctor. "You lot wait here until I've had a look."

"But," began Amy. The Doctor gave her a stern look and placed a

pre-emptive restraining hand on her shoulder.

"Wait here, Amelia Pond; I'll be back before you can say "where's he gone off to now?' You look after Lorelei here."

"Doctor," Rory began.

"You look after Amy, and you," he continued to Lorelei before Rory could protest, "look after Rory. There: I think that's everyone." He deftly leapt over the log and treaded lightly towards the cave with a confidence Amy and Rory had never understood. Amy stood up defiantly, determined to accompany him, but the Doctor spun around, expecting this reaction, and gestured reproachfully for her to crouch behind the log. Reluctantly and with a childish pout, she obeyed and they watched, Rory with a reassuring arm around Amy, as the Doctor approached the cave. He took a torch-like metallic object from his jacket pocket and held it in front of him as though it would protect him from whatever danger lay in wait.

"What's that?" whispered Lorelei.

"His sonic screwdriver," Amy answered. "It's this magic button thing that can unlock doors and do just about anything really."

"So, no one knows what it is."

"That's pretty much our status on everything to do with the Doctor," agreed Rory.

"Hello?" the Doctor called from within the entrance to the cave, the echo of his voice hinting at its vastness. "Hello there! I'm the Doctor, I just want to talk w…" He trailed away and a low guttural growl reached their ears. It was a spine chilling reminiscence of a cross between a snake and a lion. The Doctor took a step back. Lorelei felt the back of her neck prickle as a primal fear pulsed through her. Amy instinctively leant into Rory, who held her more tightly, but couldn't prevent her from peering over the top of the log. The growl became louder and more threatening and another sound made Amy nestle into Rory even more; the sound of something massive and alien moving towards them. The Doctor extended the end of his screwdriver as he saw what was confronting him and Lorelei let out a small squeak of fear as it lumbered into view. Its head was diamond-shaped like a giant grasshopper, but with a snout filled with razor sharp long teeth and wicked curved claws.

Its body was grey and moist, and rippling with muscles, but a sagging stomach and heavy tail made it slow and cumbersome, despite comparatively spindly arms which could undoubtedly whizz through the air. That didn't make it any less terrifying, though, with its evil black eyes and disproportionate, but incredibly muscular body. "Aah, ah, a Pyraustron," breathed the Doctor. He regained his composure. "I just want to ask you why you're here," he said evenly as it paused only a few metres away as though to assess its prey and hissed.

"I'm not going to threaten you. In fact, would you like a cup of tea? Jammie Dodger? Jelly Baby?" he implored weakly as the Pyraustron snarled, green saliva oozing from its mouth.

"Doctor…" murmured Amy, petrified. "Doctor…" The Pyraustron bellowed, a grating screech that made them all jump. There was a second of deathly silence.

"Run," said the Doctor, staring at the vicious creature in front of him. He looked across at them. "Run! Run!" He darted to the right just as a serrated claw flew past his face.

"Doctor!" shouted Amy and bounded over the log.

"No, Amy!" he yelled at the same time as Rory who launched himself after her. Lorelei froze for a moment in astonishment, but decided that she couldn't just sit there and so began hunting around for a weapon. The Pyraustron was momentarily perplexed at so many targets, giving the Doctor a chance to address them as he backed away, pushing Amy and Rory behind him and never taking his eyes off it. "It's teeth and claws are venomous – you mustn't let it touch you; one scratch and the poison could kill you. Back to the Tardis, go!"

"I won't leave you!" declared Amy, stubbornly.

"And I won't leave her…or you," affirmed Rory.

"Then I'll just have to come, won't I!" he propelled them backwards as the Pyraustron began to move. "Where's Lorelei?"

"Here!" Lorelei waved from the deeper forest to their right. She held a club-like stick as protection. The Pyraustron swiped at the little group, but they were too nimble compared to such a heavy beast.

"Lorelei, get to the Tardis!" called the Doctor as the Pyraustron clumped after them, it's teeth bared.

"The what?"

"The blue box thingy!"

Lorelei ran alongside them on the edge of the clearing, unwilling to let go of her weapon until they were safely away. She was the only one who saw Amy, who was slightly behind the Doctor and Rory, trip and fall with the Pyraustron, having overcome its initial inertia and now gaining momentum, only several metres behind.

Amy cried out as she hit the ground and Rory and the Doctor skidded to a halt and turned around, but they were too late. The Pyraustron slowed and stopped, leering above Amy who was frozen and mute with terror.

"Amy!" cried Rory and made to race to her, but the Doctor restrained him with surprising strength.

"No, Rory! It will kill you before you can even touch it!"

"No; let me go," commanded Rory with gritted teeth as the Pyraustron growled, preparing for the kill. "Amy!"

"Pick up anything you can find and throw it," ordered the Doctor tautly, still gripping him. He looked Rory in the eye. "Do you understand me?" Rory pulled himself away in revulsion and frantically grabbed a nearby rock.

"Hey, fang-face!" Another voice rose above the din of the Pyraustron; Lorelei was advancing towards it with her stick. "Come on, then, if you're so tough." The Pyraustron straightened and hissed at her, flinching as two rocks struck its head. Lorelei kept the stick high like a baseball bat. "You're so ugly I doubt even the tide would bring you in."

"That's a good one," the Doctor remarked to Rory who looked at him glaringly. "Right," the smile vanished from the Doctor's face and he hunted round for another projectile. The Pyraustron roared, its attention fully fixed on Lorelei. A stick thrown by the Doctor struck its belly, but it ignored the minor grievance. "Go, Amy – run. I'll distract him." Amy regained control of her limbs and stumbled to her feet, fleeing as the Pyraustron lunged at Lorelei. There was a sickening crack as its claw came into contact with the branch, slicing it in half. She stared at the now useless stump in her hand. "Time to go." Spinning on her heel, Lorelei flung the stick at the Pyraustron's snout and ran as it bellowed and swung a claw after her. "Go, go, go!" she called to the others as Rory hurled a final rock, hitting an eye.

The enraged howl of the Pyraustron reverberated throughout the forest as the four companions fled, Lorelei a few metres behind the others.

"It shouldn't follow us now," gasped the Doctor as they ran. "Pyraustron are notoriously territorial."

"You don't say," panted Rory.

"And lazy. They do all their shopping online, can you believe that?"

"Lorelei!" They both turned at Amy's cry. Lorelei was on the ground with Amy hurrying to her side. "Are you alright?" Rory and the Doctor rushed over. Lorelei was gasping in pain and clutching her right arm.

"Let me see," said the Doctor firmly. She slowly took her blood-stained hand away to reveal a gash several centimetres long trickling blood. The Doctor took out his screwdriver and scanned it with an electronic whirr. He looked at the result, his face grave. "We need something to tourniquet her arm with," he stated. Rory and Amy looked at their clothes searchingly.

"Doctor," Lorelei murmured.

"You'll be alright, Lorelei," he stroked her face reassuringly, "I promise."

"Bowtie." The Doctor paused, then realised what she meant.

"Good idea. Good. Idea." He quickly removed the cherished red bowtie and tied it tightly around her upper arm. "Help me carry her. We have to get her to the Tardis." Rory and Amy supported Lorelei's body and legs whilst the Doctor held her head.

"Do you have an antidote?" Lorelei asked with gritted teeth as the pain worsened.

"No," admitted the Doctor. "But I know where to get one. Don't worry; we'll take care of you."

"Did you like my joke?"

"Loved it," smiled the Doctor. "Don't think Rory appreciated it, though."

"Big monster! Death! Amy!" protested Rory. "Not exactly the best time!"

They made it back to the Tardis quickly and laid Lorelei on a bench in the medical area. Her face was pale and she gripped her arm, almost hyperventilating in agony. The Doctor immediately pressed a myriad of buttons, turning on a screen which filled with anatomical information as the Tardis scanned her. He checked the screen silently with furrowed brow.

"What's happening to her?" asked Rory anxiously. The Doctor walked over to Lorelei and held her hand, rubbing it reassuringly.

"The venom of the Pyraustron is known for the immense pain it causes," he explained sofly. "It affects the nervous system and gradually destroys all of the vital organs. Kills small prey within minutes."

"What do we do?" Rory demanded.

"Unless we get the antidote, nothing we can do will be of any good. If the poison isn't neutralised the damage will only continue until…"

"You said you know where it is," interjected Amy. The Doctor gazed at Lorelei sadly as she struggled with the pain.

"So do you," he replied without looking up. "It's back where we came from: in the mouth of the Pyraustron."

"Now that's just cruel," exclaimed Amy.

"But, you said so yourself," Rory shook his head. "Confronting that thing is suicide; it'll kill us before we get within a foot of its mouth."

"Don't do it," panted Lorelei. "I won't let you do it."

"No," growled the Doctor. "You risked your life to save my friend and that makes you part of this family. And I never abandon my family. There's always a way; there's always hope, even if it's one star in the entire universe. So don't you give up," he stroked her cheek tenderly. "Because we will find that star."

"How long do we have?" said Rory quietly, looking down at Lorelei. The Doctor checked the screen.

"We can't leave her here like this; her vital functions are already dropping." He sat down next to Lorelei.

"We're going to have to put you to sleep for awhile," he said gently. "It'll slow down the spread of the poison and give us more time to get the antidote. It won't stop the pain, but it will lessen it."

"You mean I'll still feel it when I'm asleep?"

"Yes," he answered apologetically.

"And the antidote, it's giant monster spit?"

"Yes." They all watched her for her reaction as she considered, jaw clenched with pain.

"You're not getting your bowtie back." The Doctor squeezed her hand.

"We'll be back soon. The Tardis will watch over you."

"This thing's alive?" she winced as she strained to look around at the immediate spacious interior.

"Well, her name's Sexy and she brought us here without my consent."

"You think she knew about the, the dinosaur thing?" The Doctor leaned forward.

"Yes. And I think she knew about you. She brought us to you, Lorelei."

"Me?" He stood and took a small cylindrical device from a compartment at the control panel, placing it on her good arm with a thumb on a button at the top.

"We'll be back before you can say 'Pyraustron saliva'." He pressed the button and a few seconds later she was unconscious. The Doctor stroked her hair pensively for a moment, then put the device down and smiled at Amy and Rory. "Ready to throw some more rocks?"

"What are you doing?" Rory stared at the Doctor in bemusement as he repeated the series of strange calls.

"Getting some help," replied the Doctor once he had finished. "Give it a moment." They waited and ten seconds later a Daerthorn hopped cautiously onto the path a safe distance from them. "Ah, thank you for coming," smiled the Doctor. "I'm the Doctor and I need to ask you some important questions about your unwelcome visitor; is it the only one in the forest?" The Daerthorn chirruped and imitated the sinister growl of the Pyraustron. "Do you have any idea why it's here? Have you seen it doing anything?" The Daerthorn emitted a succession of chirps and seamlessly emulated sound effects, ending with a horrific cry. "I'm sorry," said the Doctor. "It's hurt one of my friends, too. Now she's dying from its venom and we have to get a sample of its spit to cure her, but we can't do it alone. We need your help. If even just a few of you could help to distract it, we could get the sample and have a look in its den to find out what its doing here. What do you say?" The Daerthorn again responding with a sequence of tweets including the Pyraustron. The Doctor nodded.

"I understand. I am a man of peace, but if something threatens innocent creatures I will not stand by and do nothing; if the Pyraustron cannot be reasoned with, I will help you to stop it." The Daerthorn gave a last twitter and bounded back into the forest.

"What just happened?" asked Rory, even more confused.

"We've made some friends. He's gone to get some others to help us."

"What it was saying," mused Amy. "The Pyraustron has killed one of them, hasn't it? And it made you promise to get rid of the Pyraustron before it would help. Did it know why its here?" The Doctor shook his head.

"It came at night in some sort of ship and the next morning the den was built. Apart from exploring once and killing a Daerthorn, the Pyraustron has stayed in its den. And Dave isn't an 'it'; he's a good Daerthorn.

"Dave?" repeated Rory disbelievingly. "His name is Dave?" Amy gave Rory a playful slap on the shoulder.

"So, what's the plan?" she asked.

"The Daerthorns imitate my voice from different locations just outside the den. You two hide and throw rocks if it starts to lose interest while I slip inside from behind. Once I've seen enough, I'll come back out, collect some spit and we all run away."

"Why does everything we do end in running away?"

"What if it sees you?" asked Rory uneasily.

"Then I'm trapped in a cave with an angry Pyraustron and a sonic screwdriver."

"But no bowtie," Amy reminded him. There was a distant rustling which grew closer and a moment later five Daerthorns sprang from the forest and bowed in front of them.

"Alright, fellows," the Doctor announced. "I need you to imitate my voice to make the Pyraustron come out of its den and confuse it. Let's practice: hey!"

"Hey!" The Daerthorns chorused flawlessly.

"Over here!"

"Over here!" they repeated.

"Looking for me?"

"Looking for me?"

"Bowties are cool!"

"Bowties are cool!" Amy giggled.

"Stop overcompensating," she teased him. The Doctor gave her a short glare and continued.

"Good. Now, while you lot distract him, I'll go into the cave and see what I can find.

Then I'll come out, get some saliva before it notices and we're done!" Dave chirped something about the Pyraustron. "I have to help my friend first," said the Doctor firmly. "Reasoning with it could take too long. But, once she's safe, I'll come back and help you, I promise." They seemed satisfied at this and hopped back into the forest with a final twitter from Dave. "Alright, you two," said the Doctor, turning back to them. "Are you ready for this?"

"Doctor, are you sure?" implored Amy. "Of all the dangerous things you've done with us, this is the one with the most teeth." He smiled kindly and placed a hand on each of their arms, looking earnestly from one to the other.

"Amy, Rory; if either of you were dying from the venom of the Pyraustron would you be concerned with the risk in finding the cure?" They both averted their gazes.

"No," said Rory softly. The Doctor's screwdriver beeped and he looked at the display. "What is it?" asked Rory in response to his frown. The Doctor gazed at the screen intently before replacing the screwdriver in his pocket.

"We need to be quick."

"Will the sonic protect you if it does attack?" enquired Amy.

"About as much as a regular screwdriver with flashing lights." There was a brief silence. "Don't look so worried: we have a brilliant plan and an endless supply of things to throw."

"At a giant ferocious monster!" exclaimed Rory.

"Are you scared? I'm sensing you're scared. Here, have a jammie dodger." He passed one to Rory and another to Amy. "I wonder if the Pyraustron likes them…I bet he's jealous." He looked at them. "Probably jealous of bowties too. Well," he rubbed his hands together, "there's no time like the present, or at least the past that we're in that makes it the present."

Amy and Rory stared at him as he went to straighten his bowtie and realised it wasn't there. He settled for dusting off his jacket instead and smiled affably. "Shall we go?"

Amy and Rory stationed themselves a safe distance from cave, just close enough to fling whatever they could find at the Pyraustron. They watched in fearful anticipation as the Doctor crept to the side where he could slip in unnoticed once the Pyraustron was outside. An eerie silence settled over the forest – even the many birds seemed to have quietened for the encounter. The Daerthorns must have been monitoring their movements because, as soon as the Doctor was suitably hidden, the first mimicked calls began.

"Hey! Hey!" called one, probably Dave, from quite close to the entrance hidden amongst the tree ferns. Nothing appeared to stir from within the darkness.

"Better give him a hand," murmured Rory and hefted a large stick towards the cave. It struck the ground with a snap.

"It's not working," undertoned Amy.

"I'll throw another one."

"Throw another one."

"I am!"

"Try and get it further inside." Rory lowered the stick he had picked up.

"Would you like to throw it?"

"You throw it."

"Are you sure?"

"Just throw the damn stick!" He took aim and flung the stick right into the cave. Concurrently, Dave called even louder and a low snarl echoed from within.

"Rory?" squeaked Amy. "Remind me why we're doing this again?"

"Because the Doctor said so," he sighed. The sound of something shuffling towards them caused Rory to ready the biggest stick he could find. The Pyraustron emerged, more terrifying than memory could conjure. Another Daerthorn immediately cried out:

"Over here! Hey! Over here!" The Pyraustron took a heavy step forward toward the sound, drooling ferociously.

"Looking for me?" another one hollered. The Pyraustron swivelled and took another step towards the new location. The Doctor took his opportunity and dashed from his hiding place into the cave. Rory hurled a rock in an attempt to divert the Pyraustron's attention should it notice the darting figure. The rock hit the Pyraustron's nose and it screeched, having seemingly hit a sensitive area, and swung around to face the cowering couple.

"Not good," muttered Amy, fearfully as it clomped towards where they were hiding angrily.

"Bowties are cool! Bowties are cool! Hey! Bowties are cool!" another Daerthorn's cry rang out, causing the Pyraustron to stop and look around in bewilderment.

"Bowties are cool!" another one shouted, perplexing it even more.

The Doctor smiled as he gingerly navigated the dark interior. The cave was deep, extending for metres into the earth and, as total darkness enveloped him, the Doctor finally activated the light on his sonic screwdriver. An eerie green glow bathed his face and the immediate area around him as he held it aloft. He heard the now distant calls of the Daerthorns and the frustrated bellows of the Pyraustron as it plodded from voice to voice.

"Ah, I knew it," the Doctor whispered to himself as the light revealed a nearly complete console covered in scratches. He ran his fingers over one. "Always so clumsy" he remarked quietly.

He moved the light along the console, examining the substandard assembly until the light fell upon a hi-tech pad on the ground. "So that's the plan, you bad boy," smiled the Doctor gravely. "One for all and all to come." He moved on from the console towards what must have been nearing the end of the den and illuminated a compact space craft, burned by the atmosphere. "Now that can't have been comfortable."

"Doctor! Doctor! Help, Doctor!" the distant shouts of Amy and Rory jolted him back to reality. He turned on his heel. "To be continued," he said to the console and jogged warily back up to the entrance. The Pyraustron, having become enraged at the barrage of forest debris, was hunting Amy and Rory who were desperately scrambling through the undergrowth. The Doctor took a small canister from his jacket pocket and evaluated the situation; the Pyraustron had its back to him and, in its fury, was slobbering profusely. Its sluggishness was hindering it from catching Amy or Rory, but they would either tire or trip much more quickly than it would. The Doctor inched forward. "On your marks," he murmured to himself. "Get set." He prepared to sprint. "Go!" He raced straight for the Pyraustron, dodging its swinging tail and ducking under a claw. In the precious seconds it took for him to seize its attention, he trapped some spit in the canister and made a mad dash for the forest. "Geronimo!" he shouted. He followed Amy and Rory as they stumbled through the forest. The Pyraustron howled in anger as its primary antagonists escaped and all of the Daerthorns shrieked as loudly as they could from their various hiding places, bewildering it. The three friends panted as they made it back onto the path and ran to the Tardis.

"Did you get it?" asked Rory between breaths.

"More than that," the Doctor answered with a grin. "I know why it's here and how to stop it."

They burst into the Tardis in a fit of panting. Lorelei was still comatose and the screen above her was beeping softly, certain statistics blinking red.

"How bad is it?" asked Rory as he regained his breath. The Doctor poured the saliva painstakingly onto Lorelei's wound and removed the bowtie-tourniquet.

"We can do it, I know we can do it," he murmured cryptically.

"When will she wake up?" asked Amy, gazing at the prone figure. The Doctor looked sheepish.

"Well, the thing is, when I said asleep…it's a very deep sleep."

"How deep?" questioned Amy, suspiciously.

"Doctor, you didn't…?" comprehended Rory. "She's not in…?"

"Nurse Rory, I'm going to need your expertise." Rory moved over to Lorelei and placed two fingers on her neck.

"A coma," he murmured. "That's a serious thing, Doctor."

"I know," replied the Doctor softly.

"She looks yellow!" exclaimed Rory. He glanced up at the screen. "All her organs are shutting down, aren't they?" The Doctor nodded solemnly.

"Yes, but we can save her. The poison should be neutralised, but the damage…there is a way. Rory, could you look at her injured arm and tell me if you think it will recover? Rory took Lorelei's injured arm and tested bending it. The beeping on the screen became more insistent. "It's causing her pain," explained the Doctor sadly. Rory gently lowered it and held her wrist for several seconds.

"Radial pulse is very weak," he announced. "Do you have a pin or something pointy?" Amy took a brooch from her blouse and handed it to him silently. "Thank you." Rory poked each of her finger tips to little response. He looked gravely at the Doctor. "It looks like the nerve damage has pretty much destroyed its function." The Doctor nodded and walked over to the central console.

"Can you do this?" he asked the Tardis quietly. "You've always taken me where I needed to go, done what I needed you to do. I can save her life, but I need you to give her something new. Something from within you. Can you do this?" A sudden whirring seemed to answer his question as a detailed scan of Lorelei's arm flitted across the screen. The Doctor grinned and took another much larger cylindrical device from a compartment below the console.

"What are those things?" Amy looked at it curiously.

"A pressurised storage syringe," he answered. "The last one had the sedative in it."

"But that one's empty." The Doctor smiled.

"Is it?" He placed it on his own arm and pressed the button. Amy gasped.

"What are you doing?"

"Her heart is too weak to wake her up – the poison ate away at it just like the rest of her organs. The blood of a Time Lord is different to that of a human; there's only one type, but it is compatible. It also contains regeneration material which will hopefully heal her enough for her body to do the rest."

"Hopefully?" He smiled mischievously.

"It hasn't exactly ever been tested." The button popped up, dark red liquid visible inside the clear container.

"What happens if her body rejects it?" asked Rory. The Doctor, having placed the device carefully on Lorelei's chest, locked eyes with him.

"No one rejects anything from a Time Lord." He pressed the button. Immediately, the Tardis began to drone and a metallic wrist cover slid out from underneath Lorelei's wounded arm and enveloped it.

Numbers and complex diagrams calibrated on the screen and gradually Lorelei's complexion became less yellow-tinged. They all watched fixedly as the sound subsided and the cover disappeared back into the Tardis.

"Now what?" said Rory, still dumbfounded. The Doctor beamed.

"We wake her up." He fetched yet another smaller canister and deployed it on her arm. They all waited anxiously.

Lorelei's eyelids flickered and, slowly, she opened her eyes. The Doctor, Amy and Rory all smiled in relief. "Lorelei, can you hear me?" asked the Doctor.

"Y, yes," she croaked.

"I know you feel rotten, but I still have to ask: how do you feel?" She smiled weakly.

"Like I've been run over by a truck carrying a rhinoceros."

"Well, we're glad you're no match for rhinoceros-carrying trucks. Rory, take a look at her arm."

"Can you wiggle your fingers?" asked Rory and watched as she did so slowly and stiffly. He took up her wrist again and waited, frowned, adjusted the position of his fingers, waited, frowned and turned to the Doctor irritably. "It's a robot arm, isn't it?" The Doctor smiled as Rory examined her arm closely. "I can't even tell where it begins!"

"That's because it isn't just a chunk of metal; the Tardis integrated the machinery into her existing tissue," tittered the Doctor, stroking the bench fondly. "It's better than a robot arm." Lorelei frowned. "Am I going crazy, or did I get attacked by a giant alien monster?"

"Actually, you attacked it," corrected the Doctor. "And you lost my bowtie in doing so. Oh, that reminds me!" He hurried over to the console and rummaged around in another compartment, emerging triumphant with a new bowtie.

"And…it's back," sighed Amy forlornly.

"Bowties are cool," said Lorelei feebly. The Doctor beamed at her.

"See, finally someone who understands. Here," he handed her the old blood stained bowtie. "Now you can be cool too." Lorelei took it gingerly using her new hand.

"I think I'll wash it first," she smiled. "So, what happened?"

"You were poisoned by the Pyraustron when it scratched you and we had to go back and get some of its spit to cure you."

"You went back there?" Lorelei gazed at all of them in awe.

"Yes, and if you remember what that thing looked like, we had to fight it while the Doctor went exploring in its cave!" added Rory with pride.

"You did that for me? I, I don't know how to thank you all." Something struck her. "I have monster spit in me? Eww!" she exclaimed.

"And that's not all," muttered Amy, smirking at the Doctor. "Would you care to melt her brain, or shall I do it?" Lorelei looked at both of them, searching their faces.

"What do you mean? There's more?"

"I think I'll leave the brain melting duties to Mrs. Pond," the Doctor consented, and strode back over to the central console to press some important-looking buttons.

Amy stepped closer to Lorelei as she deliberated how to explain to her.

"How do I say this? You know how we're both human?"

"Yes," said Lorelei slowly.

"Well, the Doctor, even though he looks like a human, is actually this other Time Lordy person thing."

"He can regenerate if he gets killed," added Rory helpfully.

"And he's the last of his kind," Amy looked wistfully over at the Doctor.

"And, to make you better, he kind of had to give you some of his Time Lord blood," Rory finished. Lorelei gawped at them in bafflement, then scrutinised her hands.

"What does that mean?" she murmured. "I'm part…other…thing?"

"Is your brain melting?" enquired Amy.

"Like an ice cream," Lorelei agreed quietly, still gazing perplexedly at her hands.

"How are you feeling?" asked Rory.

"That thing, did we find out what its doing here?" Lorelei changed the subject. The Doctor bounded back into the conversation.

"It's on a bit of a mission," he explained cheerfully.

"To rule the world?" Lorelei asked sarcastically.

"Actually, yes. But, first, to bring its friends."

"How many friends?" questioned Rory with trepidation.

"Oh, a few billion or so." Rory choked and spluttered in shock. They're the most environmentally unfriendly race I've ever met, always leaving the lights on day and night, and I'm betting they've destroyed their own planet, so now, having scouted this planets sustainability, they're about to transfer via teleport which their ambassador has almost finished putting together."

"Can I have another biscuit?" Rory requested meekly.

"I'm not staying here," pouted Lorelei.

"Lorelei, you just woke up out of a coma," placated Rory. "You haven't even stood up yet." He grimaced as he realised what he'd said.

"I can stand! I'll show you…" She went to stand up as Rory tried to restrain her. "I can do it!" she argued. "Let me try."

Rory kept his hand on her shoulder. She stared him down. "Let. Me. Try." He removed his hand nervously.

"I'll let you try." Lorelei eased herself up into a full sitting position and paused for a moment.

"Are you-?"

"I'm fine," she insisted and swung her legs off the edge of the counter. "I actually feel pretty good considering I was barely alive half an hour ago." The Doctor, who had been observing from the Tardis controls, strolled over to her as she carefully lowered herself to the floor and stood unsteadily. He whipped out the sonic screwdriver and scanned her whole body. "What are you scanning for?" She watched as he checked the results, smiling to himself.

"You're part Time Lord," he grinned contentedly. "The molecular material from my cells has partially assimilated into your DNA." Lorelei stared at him blankly, then turned to the others.

"Amy?" Amy shook her head.

"Made no sense to me," she declared. Rory shrugged in concurrence.

"It means you can heal yourself much faster and better than normal humans," the Doctor clarified.

"Are you saying I'm abnormal?"

"You're cool! You have superpowers! And a bowtie," he added with a teasing glance at Amy who rolled her eyes. Lorelei smiled and lifted the bowtie to eye level. She took a firmer step towards the Doctor and held it out to him.

"Could you do it up for me please?"

The quartet crept to the edge of the clearing at the side of the cave, hiding behind the trunk of a gum tree. Once they were in position, the Doctor adjusted his and then Lorelei's bowtie.

"Jealous?" he asked the others. Rory fingered his shirt collar.

"A little."

"No, you're not," asserted Amy.

"No, I'm not," he repeated nervously. Two Daerthorns, one of them Dave, flew overhead and landed just outside the entrance to the Pyraustron's den. They imitated the Pyraustron's roar and it resounded throughout the cave. "Do you really think this will work? The same trick?"

"Pyraustron aren't the smartest of creatures," reassured the Doctor. "I saw one walk into a window once."

"Must have been a thick window," mumbled Rory.

"And then it did it again, and there was all this Pyraustron snot-"

"We get the idea," interrupted Amy, a disgusted look on her face. They stopped talking as the Pyraustron growled and clumped out from its lair grouchily and swatted at the two Daerthorns who swiftly darted in front of it, leading it away. They manoeuvred skilfully to avoid its wicked claws, keeping it occupied as it snarled and spat in aggravation.

"I've never seen a Lyrebird fly," observed Lorelei, watching in awe.

The Doctor gestured for them to follow and led his team into the cave, moving quickly and quietly, the trio behind him holding hands in the dark. Once they were a safe distance away, he activated his light and directed them to the console he had discovered before.

"What is this thing?" whispered Amy as they all inspected it.

"A large scale matter precision duplication machine."

"A, a teleporter?" clarified Lorelei in a small voice. The Doctor smiled.

"Exactly! I like this one; she gets me. She doesn't mock me; she's cool."

"That's because she doesn't know you," retorted Amy. The Doctor glowered at Amy and turned back to the teleporter to program it.

"Never used one myself," he chatted as he overrode the encrypted database with the sonic. "It technically has to disintegrate you to duplicate you in another location – it sends all of your genetic information through electromagnetic waves. Of course, you wouldn't want it to go wrong…"

"Or you end up like the Pyraustron?" interjected Amy. "Maybe they started off as, well, not like that." The teleporter beeped in confirmation.

"There; done." The Doctor pushed his hair out of his eyes and addressed all of them. "When the Pyraustron comes, you must all be as far away from this thing as possible, do you understand? Under no circumstances are you to come anywhere near."

"Do you think you'll lose something?" asked Lorelei. "If you get teleported, you'll lose an undefinable part of you; your heart, your soul?"

"That and everyone who comes out smells vaguely like fish. Now, you three set these up behind the teleporter and turn them on when it gets close." He handed them several compact flood lights. "I'm off to do something incredibly dangerous and stupid." He sauntered back towards the cave entrance, leaving them in total darkness.

"He thinks he's so sexy when he says that," Amy grumbled.

"We should set up the lights," reminded Rory and took an uncertain step.

"Ow, that was my foot!" Amy yelped.

"Sorry, I thought it was a very soft rock."

"Watch it," cautioned Amy.

"Ow, and that was my foot," said Lorelei as Rory took another few steps. "Hold on, I've got my phone." A small square of light revealed the immediate space.

"You were going the wrong way anyway, you dolt," Amy teased him lovingly.

Meanwhile, the Doctor had almost reached the opening. Three Daerthorns were narrowly avoiding the Pyraustron's frenzied swipes as it bellowed, flecks of spit raining down from its foaming jaws. The Doctor jumped up and down, waving his arms.

"Oi, mouthwash, over here! Look at me; I'm in your den!" The Daerthorns swooped around behind it and disappeared into the forest. The Pyraustron turned around ungainly. "Yes, that's it! Hello, ugly!"

Its narrow black eyes locked onto him and it emitted a low growl as it recognised him. "You remember me, don't you? You-" The Pyraustron roared ferociously, drenching the Doctor in spit. "Oh, now you give us spit," he said sarcastically as he shook the viscous green saliva from his hands. The Pyraustron took a menacing step forwards. "Right, I'd better run." He fled back into the cave as it lunged, barely missing the tail of his jacket. "I hope you're all ready!" he yelled as he sprinted blindly towards the teleporter, sonic screwdriver lighting only a metre in front of him. Clods of dirt fell from the roof as the Pyraustron plodded ominously, gaining speed behind him. "Now!" he shouted when he was almost at the teleportation pad. Immediately, blinding white light assaulted the Doctor as he stumbled over to the console with one hand over his eyes and felt frantically for the right button. The Pyraustron, roaring as its sensitive eyes were burned by the light, lurched after the Doctor and onto the teleportation pad.

"It's there!" yelled Amy.

"Big mistake," said the Doctor and pressed the big red button he had been searching for. A low hum filled the cave, growing louder all the time until suddenly a golden beam of energy engulfed the Pyraustron. It howled in shock. "You tell your species," shouted the Doctor amidst the turmoil, "that this is a protected planet!" The Pyraustron bellowed as its body began to crumble, the beam scanning and destroying every particle of DNA. The Doctor held an arm in front of his face to shield it as the field of energy intensified and it howled at him bitterly in defeat. "Protected by the Doctor!" he finished as the Pyraustron evaporated into the intense light, its howls fading away to nothing. Rory whooped as the beam shut down, dissipating instantaneously with a loud crack.

"We did it!" He hugged Amy and Lorelei as they all cheered.

"Not to dampen the celebrations," called the Doctor from the console, "But could you turn those lights off before my eyes burst into flame?" They broke away and turned off all but one of the lights, which Rory pointed away from the Doctor, and joined him at the console.

"Doctor, that was amazing!" commended Lorelei gleefully.

"I'm blind," he moaned. "The sacrifices I make for you people."

"It's only temporary," reminded Amy, hitting him lightly on the arm. "Stop being such a baby."

"A baby? I'm covered in monster spit, I just saved the earth and you're calling me a-"

"Um, this teleporter. It works both ways, yeah?" Rory interrupted, staring at the machine uneasily.

"Oh, yes, could one of you press that big red button again?" Amy pushed it and the machine beeped twice. "Right." The Doctor blinked. "You're all so fuzzy and multicoloured." He reached out into space. "Such pretty dots…" He remembered the situation. "Right, in three minutes the teleporter will self destruct, hopefully collapsing the cave with it, so we'd better get a move on."

They made it out of the cave in two minutes and watched as, one minute later, a section of earth that had been the den of the Pyraustron collapsed with a loud boom. They stood in silence for a moment, contemplating the crumbled ground in front of them. The Doctor brushed his jacket off with a grimace. "Disgusting," he murmured.

"Yeah, no hugs for you until you're changed," agreed Amy. A piercing call made them all start. "What on earth is that?" shuddered Amy.

"The Daerthorns," breathed the Doctor and charged off towards the sound.

Two Daerthorns were lying motionless on the forest floor surrounded by their comrades who were the source of the terrible cries. The group stood and watched respectfully from a distance as the cries became soft mournful notes and the Daerthorns brushed leaves onto the two casualties. One of them spotted the Doctor and gradually all became silent as they turned to him. The Doctor stepped forward.

"I'm so sorry," he apologised quietly. "This was a great battle against a nasty foe, and without your help we and the earth would have been lost. You helped me and my friends, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for that. I know that my words won't heal your pain, but I want you to understand that the sacrifice you made today prevented an entire species from ruthlessly taking over your home and the home of billions of other creatures. I can't promise you that the Pyraustron won't come back," he cautioned. "But I can promise you that we will be there to help you fight them if they do." One of the Daerthorns chirped softly. "Thank you, Dave," replied the Doctor sincerely.

"Are you going to leave now?" asked Lorelei sulkily as they neared the Tardis. "Will I ever see you again?"

"Of course you will," assured Amy.

"You promise?"

"Absolutely," agreed Rory. Lorelei hugged them both.

"I've known you for less than a day," she reflected, "but you already feel like family. A family that lives very, very far away," she added with a small smile. Amy gave her an extra hug.

"You are a part of our family. Besides, do you think the Doctor will be able to keep away with how you complement his dress sense?" Amy wiped away a tear and held her by the shoulders. "Now, you be good little sister." Lorelei grinned at both of them.

"I'll try." The Doctor held the Tardis door open and waited until they were both inside before addressing Lorelei.

"What do you think of your new arm?" Lorelei clenched and unclenched her fist.

"It feels stronger – I can't wait to arm wrestle my brother with this!" The Doctor chuckled. "Thank you," she said earnestly. "I know how close I came to…you know…" The Doctor took her regenerated hand, squeezing it gently.

"You have a beautiful heart, Lorelei. And a good deal of courage and bravery. I'm sorry you had to go through what you did. It is special, you know: being part Time Lord. Not a burden to be taken lightly." He looked at her with a twinkle in his eye and placed his other hand on her shoulder. "When you're feeling alone, Lorelei, think of this: you're now the closest living relative I have." His eyes watered a little as he hugged her.

"I'll miss you," she said sadly. "I'm sure all the people you meet miss you." The Doctor smiled forlornly as he gently pulled himself away and walked towards the Tardis. He turned at the door.

"Not as much as I miss them." He took a small device from his pocket and tossed it to her. "If you ever need me, if the Australia's in danger again, or you're in danger, I'll come." She turned the device over in her hands inquisitively.

"Doctor!" she called and he paused halfway into the Tardis. "I don't have a cool gadget to give you, but if for some unknown reason you ever need me, you know where I am." He nodded with a smile.

"Until next time."

Lorelei watched, one hand absent-mindedly twisting her bowtie, as the Tardis began to vanish with a whooshing sound until all that was left was a girl standing alone in the middle of a forest, gazing wistfully at the path in front of her. A small chirrup caused her to turn to behold a Lyrebird poking its head out from the edge of the forest path. Lorelei smiled.

"Hello, Dave."


End file.
